Since the beginning of humanity, all flesh has been contaminated with a condition called sin. Sin and death came into the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord, causing them and the rest of God’s creation to become subject to this fallen condition. Sadly, many people are walking through this world not even knowing they have it.

In David’s Psalm of repentance, he acknowledged the fallen nature that we are born into.

“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5).

I want to make note right away that just because we are born in a physical sin condition, it is not a reason that we should disregard it, willfully sinning against God. David acknowledged this in the two previous verses.

“For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (Psalm 51:3-4).

Because it was a “choice” that brought sin into the world by Adam and Eve, all humanity inherited the inclination to sin as well as the “condition” it comes with. This is labeled by many as “original sin.”

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

David’s son, King Solomon, also acknowledged that all men sin.

“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

This is why Jesus said that “no one is good” except for Him, the only sinless Man (Luke 18:19). This is also why the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness. If Satan could get Jesus to sin in the weakness of His humility, then Christ’s mission to redeem sin-infected humanity would have been over right then and there. Only a sinless Man could save sinful mankind.

Satan tried to abort God’s mission to save humanity through His son as soon as He came into the world when Herod attempted to have the baby Jesus killed in His most vulnerable state, (Matthew 2:16). Satan continued to use wicked men to have Jesus killed throughout His earthly ministry; but because Jesus was sinless, He could not be killed no matter what they tried. In fact, we should acknowledge that Jesus was not killed at Calvary; rather He gave up the ghost (Luke 23:46).

Because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), Jesus was exempt from dying! He could have hung on that cross for days, or even weeks, and He would not have died. This makes the thought of what He endured in His agony even more excruciating and His shed blood that much more precious. However, once the atonement was complete, He declared it was finished and gave up the ghost (John 19:30).

When we sin against God, it is a choice, but our physical fallen flesh is a condition that all human beings are born into, which is why all fallen humanity needs a Savior. That Savior is Jesus Christ, who came into the world through sinful flesh but did not sin in that flesh, thus redeeming our fallen state by doing so! He lived the perfect life that no one could ever do.

“And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

He then went to the cross and paid the price for our willful sins (the ones we do by choice)!  Then He died and rose again, thus defeating death, which is the consequence of our sin.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Jesus did it all! He saved our fallen flesh (by living a perfect life); He saved us from death (by dying in our place), and He provided eternal life (by rising from the dead). He provided full redemption for us through His completed atoning sacrifice.

We receive this eternal life the moment we place our belief, trust and faith in Jesus Christ. This is the born-again experience (see John 3:5-16). Once we have done this, we then become a member of God’s family.

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

For those that believe in His name, their souls are immediately saved and their fallen flesh has an appointment to receive a new glorified body on that great Day when Christ comes to call His bride Home.

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).

The struggle for us who are saved Christians is that although our souls are saved, we are still living in these “vile bodies” that are subject to pain, suffering and sickness. This is where Scripture encourages us to walk in the Spirit rather than the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17), and the Holy Spirit will guide our lives and set us free.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).

The law of sin and death was initiated on the day that Adam disobeyed God and sinned. The Lord told Adam, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

The very day that Adam transgressed against God, he immediately became spiritually dead, and the physical aging process began. Adam lived to be a ripe age of 930 years old, but his physical body had still taken on the condition of sin, which led to physical death that we have all inherited. But God in His mercy and grace has provided a remedy to this fallen condition through our Savior Jesus Christ.

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

As we walk this earth in our sinful flesh, battling temptations every day, we can find strength and support in the sinless life that our Lord Jesus Christ lived for us in obedience to the Father.

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:10-11).

Jesus left His heavenly abode and entered into this fallen world of humanity so that He could redeem our fallen flesh. The Gospel of John says, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The Greek text translates the word “dwelt” as “tabernacle.” The Greek word “skenoo” literally means “to pitch a tent.” So that verse literally reads, “and the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.”

A tent is a temporary dwelling place. Both Paul and Peter used the word “tent” (tabernacle) as an analogy for the human body.

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1).

“Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me” (2 Peter 1:13-14).

Notice how both Paul and Peter referred to their tents (bodies) as being temporary. It is fitting that Paul was an actual tent maker by profession (Acts 18:3). Paul even confirms that we have an eternal dwelling place prepared for us in the heavens, just as Jesus is also preparing an eternal Home for us (John 14:2-3).

We can be comforted knowing that when Christ comes for His bride, He will clothe us with our new glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-53) and take us to our new glorified Home (1Thessalonians 4:16-17; John 17:24).

While we groan in this fallen flesh waiting for the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23), we can embrace God’s promises that He will replace our mortal state and transform it into one of glory as He is.

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

“For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life” (2 Corinthians 5:4).

Living life on this earth in these fallen frames can be difficult at times. Sickness, pain, suffering and temptations can invade our mental peace and well-being, but we have to remember that it is temporary. And if we walk in the Spirit as the Bible encourages us to do, then we will receive “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding that shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Just as Jesus died to save our souls, He lived a perfect life to save our flesh.  He is coming soon to clothe us in glory! Hold the line and stay poised; our redemption draws near!

I would like to end this article with one of my favorite verses in the Bible, one that I like to use as my own personal statement of faith which is one that Paul wrote as his own, that can also be used by anyone else as their own.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

***

All Scripture quotes are from KJV, and all bold texts were applied by me for emphasis of subject matter.

The gospel of Matthew was written to present Jesus Christ as the King and Messiah to Israel, the ancient nation that brought forth the lineage of the birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-16).

We know from Scripture that Jesus was of the tribe of Judah, (Revelation 5:5). Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob, who had his name changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28). Through this continued lineage we know that Jesus also stemmed from the lineage of King David (Matthew 1:6). All of this is important when we observe the birth of Christ and the prophecies that foretold His first coming.

Micah 5:2 is the one that announces that He would be born in Bethlehem, but specifically Bethlehem Ephratah.

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

This is an interesting verse where we see the mention of Jesus’ first advent, and His still future second advent as the Ruler in Israel, and even the mention of His eternal past “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting”!  This prophecy was quoted to Herod by the wise men when they were inquiring about the young Child’s whereabouts after following His star (Matthew 2:1-6).

We know from Scripture that Bethlehem Ephratah is also where King David was born (Ruth 4:11-18; 1 Samuel 17:12; Luke 2:4).  From this, we can already see the geographical significance connected to the lineage of Jesus Christ.

With that said, there is a mysterious verse in Matthew 2:23 after Mary and Joseph return from sheltering the baby Jesus in Egypt from Herod’s decree to slaughter all the children in Bethlehem, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:35 and Hosea 11:1.

Matthew says: “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23).

The curious thing about this verse is that there is no specific passage found anywhere in the Old Testament declaring those exact words, but Matthew says it was spoken by the prophets, so it must be there.

Only the book of Luke and the book of Matthew record the birth of Christ and His lineage, and Matthew quotes the Old Testament more than any of the other three gospel writers. Many Bible scholars have linked this verse to Isaiah 11:1, and correctly so.

“And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots” (Isaiah 11:1).

This passage is a prophecy of the Messiah stemming from the lineage of Jesse (David’s father), as confirmed in Matthew 2:6 in his recording of Christ’s lineage. But there is no mention of Him being a Nazarene. This is where we have to consult the Hebrew text of that passage, as sometimes certain fine details get lost or buried in our English translations.

The Hebrew word for “Branch” in Isaiah 11:1 is “nēṣer,” and it means a “sprout, shoot, branch.” The Isaiah 11:1 verse is written like a family tree (just as we do in our modern day for our own families). It is saying that the Messiah will come forth from the stem (tree trunk) of Jesse (David’s father), and a Branch (a sprout, growing shoot) shall grow out of his roots. The word “roots” is plural because Jesse had other sons other than David, but Jesus would become that Rod (Hebrew “ḥōṭer”), who would eventually rule over Israel and the world as King on the throne of David (Isaiah 9:6-7).

As a side note, the reason why the trunk of the tree is mentioned here and not with Jacob is because the Kingship lineage of Christ the King is specifically linked to David (2 Samuel 7:12-13; Psalm 132:11; Psalm 89:3-4), and remember the book of Matthew is declaring who the eternal King of Israel is!

Jesus is mentioned as The Branch in relation to the salvation of Israel several times throughout the Old Testament (Isaiah 4:2; Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 33:15; Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 6:12-13; Micah 5:2).

Now let’s get back to the mention of Christ being called a Nazarene in Matthew 2:23 and being linked to the word “nēṣer” in Isaiah 11:1. Many have pointed out the similarity in the word “nēṣer” and Nazarene, and as intriguing as that is, there is a much deeper connection here.

To reiterate, the meaning of the word “nēṣer” used for Branch is (sprout, shoot), which implies something growing out of the tree. In Luke 2:40, it informs us that Nazareth is where the Christ child grew up!

“And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the Child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:39-40).

So the real connection from Matthew 2:23 to Isaiah 11:1 is in the fact that both passages reveal where the Christ would grow up and become a man. That is how we know that “from the fulfillment that was spoken by the prophets,” that He would grow up in Nazareth and be called a Nazarene.

In Jesus’ day, there were others named Jesus, so it was important that He was recognized specifically as Jesus of Nazareth, as spoken of by the prophets. In fact, we find a few other men named Jesus in the New Testament, such as “Jesus, called Justus” in Colossians 4:11, a co-worker with Paul, and a false prophet named Bar-Jesus in Acts 13:6.

What many people may not know is that Barabbas had a first name that we don’t see in our KJV Bible but does appear in different manuscripts of Matthew 27:16-17, and that name is Jesus!! So there were actually two men named Jesus that stood as prisoners that Pilate gave the crowd a choice to release – Jesus Christ or Jesus Barabbas!

The title “Jesus of Nazareth” occurs 21 times in the KJV Bible. Jesus confirmed this title of Himself when the guards came to arrest Him in the garden.

“Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am He. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them” (John 18:4-5).

Jesus also referred to Himself as Jesus of Nazareth when He appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 22:8)

The blind man, Bartimaeus, in Mark 10:47, recognized Jesus as Jesus from Nazareth and even knew enough to link Him to the lineage of David.

“And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:47).

Peter raised the lame man in the name of Jesus of Nazareth in Acts 3:6. And in Acts 4:10-14, he declared to the high priests that it was done in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and that “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

The angel in the empty tomb told the three women that came there on Resurrection morning, “Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him. Even after Christ died and rose again, He still needs to be known as Jesus of Nazareth.

The demon that Jesus cast out of the man in the synagogue in Luke 4:34 even referred to Jesus as “Jesus of Nazareth,” showing that the spiritual world of angels and demons revere the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus of Nazareth (the Branch) isn’t just an identifier of where He would grow up and the place where He is from, but is also mentioned in Scripture as the One (the Branch) that will come to rule the earth from the throne of David.

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth” (Jeremiah 23:5).

Come, Lord Jesus!!!